On Tuesday evening, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant met with White House Coordinator to the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk. The two discussed the importance of seizing the opportunity created to achieve an agreement for the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. They discussed the challenges that remain in achieving such an agreement, as well as possible solutions to address them.
The parties discussed the progress achieved in the dialogue held between Israel and Egypt under U.S. leadership. This is in accordance to the plan presented by the Minister of Defense at the start of the war, and that was later discussed by the parties involved.
Minister Gallant emphasized the importance of establishing a mechanism that would prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza, thus cutting off Hamas supplies. He added that the State of Israel supports the opening of the Rafah crossing however, will not tolerate the return of Hamas to the area.
Minister Gallant expressed his appreciation to Mr. McGurk for his personal involvement and leadership on the hostage issue, and thanked the U.S. Administration for standing with Israel in our efforts to return the hostages and achieve the goals of the war